Aaron Landau Character Analysis in Refugee

Josef and Ruthie’s father, and Rachel’s husband. At the beginning of the book, Aaron is taken away to the Dachau concentration camp on Kristallnacht. Aaron is released six months later on the condition that he leave Germany immediately, prompting the Landaus to book passage to Cuba on the St. Louis. Despite the fact that Aaron is free, he is completely changed by his experience at the concentration camp. He is thin and frail, and is constantly paranoid that the Nazis are going to find him. He reveals some of the horrors that he experienced, such as watching the Nazis hang a man upside down in a barrel and slowly filling it with water until he drowned. Aaron’s mental health deteriorates over the course of the novel, to the point where he is in danger of not passing the medical inspection to get into Cuba. Fearing this, Josef slaps Aaron and threatens him in order to get Aaron to calm down, prompting Josef to observe how he has become the adult in the family, while Aaron is now acting like a child. Aaron attempts to commit suicide by jumping off of the ship into the water, but he is rescued by Mariano Padron and is taken to mainland Cuba. He remains there even as the ship is forced to leave, and at the end of the novel Ruthie explains that he lived there the rest of his life, and died before she could reconnect with him.

Aaron Landau Quotes in Refugee

The Refugee quotes below are all either spoken by Aaron Landau or refer to Aaron Landau. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

It all came flooding back to him now—swaying and humming along with the prayers, craning his neck to see the Torah when it was taken out of the ark and hoping to get a chance to touch it and then kiss his fingers as the scroll came around in a procession. Josef felt his skin tingle. The Nazis had taken all this from them, from him, and now he and the passengers on the ship were taking it back.

Related Characters: Josef Landau, Rachel Landau, Aaron Landau

Page Number and Citation: 74

Explanation and Analysis:

Suddenly, Josef saw what he had to do. He slapped his father across the face. Hard.

Papa staggered in surprise, and Josef felt just as shocked as his father looked. Josef couldn’t believe what he’d just done. Six months ago, he would never have even dreamed of striking any adult, let alone his father. Papa would have punished him for such disrespect. But in the past six months, Josef and his father had traded places. Papa was the one acting like a child, and Josef was the adult.

Related Characters: Aaron Landau, Josef Landau

Page Number and Citation: 133

Explanation and Analysis:

“I wish from the bottom of my heart that you will land soon, Little Man,” Officer Padron said again. “I’m sorry. I’m just doing my job.”

Josef looked deep into Officer Padron’s eyes, searching for some sign of help, some hint of sympathy. Officer Padron just looked away.

Related Characters: Lito/Mariano Padron (speaker), Aaron Landau, Mahmoud Bishara, Josef Landau

Page Number and Citation: 221

Explanation and Analysis:

“Don’t you see?” Lito said. “The Jewish people on the ship were seeking asylum, just like us. They needed a place to hide from Hitler. From the Nazis. Mañana, we told them. We’ll let you in mañana. But we never did.” Lito was crying now, distraught. “We sent them back to Europe and Hitler and the Holocaust. Back to their deaths. How many of them died because we turned them away? Because I was just doing my job?”

Related Characters: Lito/Mariano Padron (speaker), Isabel Fernandez, Josef Landau, Rachel Landau, Ruthie Landau/Rosenberg, Aaron Landau, Mahmoud Bishara

Related Symbols: Boats

Page Number and Citation: 276

Explanation and Analysis:

Aaron Landau Character Timeline in Refugee

The timeline below shows where the character Aaron Landau appears in Refugee. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Family, Displacement, and Culture Theme Icon

...drag Josef and Ruthie into the living room, where the children’s mother, Rachel, and father, Aaron, are. They accuse Josef’s father of practicing law, despite the fact that Jews are forbidden... (full context)

...he could go to the camps as well. Rachel cries in protest. The Nazis drag Aaron away, warning Josef not to be “so quick to grow up.” The Nazis then destroy... (full context)

Injustice and Cruelty vs. Empathy and Social Responsibility Theme Icon

...know it means that they aren’t wanted in Germany. Rachel, meanwhile, tries fruitlessly to find Aaron. They do not hear about him until six months later. They receive a telegram saying... (full context)

...Hamburg and sit in a compartment labeled J, for Jew. They are going to meet Aaron in Hamburg and then board the ship that will take them to Cuba. Since the... (full context)

...behind a pile of luggage, frightening them. They quickly realize, however, that the man is Aaron. Josef is surprised: his father is gaunt and scraggly, with his hair shaved off. (full context)

Aaron greets them warmly, but looks around “manically, like there [are] spies everywhere.” He insists that... (full context)

...treat them “like real people.” Their rooms are spotless, with clean linens and amenities. But Aaron insists that it’s a trick, and that the Germans are going to come for them.... (full context)

...toward “a new life.” But Josef can’t help but think what could have happened to Aaron to make him “look so awful and act so scared.” (full context)

...addition, everyone on the crew treats Josef and his family “with kindness and respect,” though Aaron hasn’t left their cabin once, and Rachel has barely left his side. Josef also notes... (full context)

...has been converted to a synagogue, which will allow him to have his bar mitzvah. Aaron is extremely paranoid about the synagogue, worried that they will be targeted if they attend.... (full context)

Josef is upset that Aaron will not join for his bar mitzvah, but wonders if becoming a man means not... (full context)

The ship begins to slow down, and Aaron starts to panic, saying that they have to hide or get off the ship to... (full context)

Aaron finally seems to understand what Josef is saying, and insists on attending the funeral because... (full context)

...that a body buried at sea must be covered with the national flag—the Nazi flag. Aaron protests angrily and spits at Schiendick’s feet. Schroeder breaks up the two men, and says... (full context)

...salute the man by touching the brims of their caps. After the funeral, Josef notices Aaron lingering at the rail of the ship and looking at the water, saying that at... (full context)

...hall. Josef runs back to his cabin and explains what is happening to Rachel and Aaron. Josef is concerned that Aaron will be deemed “too mentally disturbed to enter Cuba.” Aaron,... (full context)

Rachel and Josef escort Aaron to the social hall. As the doctor approaches them in line, Aaron begins to whimper,... (full context)

Rachel starts to cry, but Aaron pulls himself together and stands at attention like a prisoner. The doctor comes down the... (full context)

Josef has no choice but to bring Schiendick to his family’s cabin, where Aaron is napping and Rachel is reading. Schiendick and two firemen ransack the room, smashing the... (full context)

Josef, Aaron, and Rachel huddle in the corner. When there is nothing left to destroy, Schiendick spits... (full context)

Aaron is in another panic, stacking every piece of furniture in their room against the door... (full context)

...pool, and she tells Josef that she’s going to get a sleeping draught to calm Aaron. Josef warns her that if the doctor knows he’s not well, they might not let... (full context)

...She quickly falls asleep, and Josef grows worried, not knowing how to take care of Aaron. Josef suddenly realizes that he’s now “the only adult” in the family. He can’t go... (full context)

Suddenly, Aaron asks Josef if he’s seen anyone drown. Josef doesn’t respond, and Aaron talks about how... (full context)

...starts to cry, knowing that he had threatened his father with going back to Germany. Aaron says he can’t go back there before closing his eyes and falling asleep. Josef then... (full context)

When Josef and Ruthie return, however, Aaron is no longer in the cabin. Josef instructs Ruthie to stay with Rachel, who is... (full context)

...One of the Cuban policemen (Mariano Padron) dives into the water and swims out to Aaron. A woman screams as she notices two shark fins in the water. Aaron sinks beneath... (full context)

Padron is able to get Aaron back to one of the small boats, where two other officers restrain him. The boat... (full context)

In the days following Aaron’s suicide attempt, many other passengers on the St. Louis tell Josef how sorry they are... (full context)

...boats pulls up to the St. Louis, carrying Mariano Padron, the officer who had saved Aaron. The passengers greet and cheer him as he boards, and give him a gift of... (full context)

Josef, Rachel, and Ruthie go to talk to Padron. Rachel asks how Aaron is. Padron says through an interpreter that Aaron is alive, but has been sedated. Padron... (full context)

Josef then asks Officer Padron what will happen to his father. Padron explains that Aaron isn’t well enough to come to the ship, but that Josef can’t leave. He apologizes,... (full context)

...is Rachel. For days she had locked herself in their cabin, crying and mourning for Aaron. But after the St. Louis left Cuba, she cleaned herself up, put on makeup and... (full context)

...with his mother. She continues to dance anyway. He asks why she seems happy that Aaron is gone. Rachel responds by telling Josef how he got his name: he was named... (full context)

Refugee

Aaron Landau Character Analysis

Aaron Landau Quotes in Refugee

Josef: On the Atlantic Ocean – 1939, 8 days Quotes

Josef: On the Atlantic Ocean – 1939, 14 days Quotes

Josef: Havana Harbor – 1939, 21 days Quotes

Isabel: Coast of Florida – 1994, 5 days (3) Quotes

Aaron Landau Character Timeline in Refugee